The Business School has its own International Student Support Co-ordinator who will be available for questions, help and advice throughout your studies with us, from the start of the application process, through the "moving to Germany" period and, of course, also once you have arrived here, to help you smooth out any problems. If your application is successful, we will provide you with all relevant information to help plan your move to Germany (e.g. visa application, accommodation, travel and logistics, etc.).

Communication with us

We generally communicate with our international applicants by email. Therefore it is essential that you have an email account which you check frequently and regularly. Please make sure that your account is maintained and able to receive mail. In many cases when we get in touch with you, deadlines will apply and missing those could mean you lose an opportunity! We are contactable by email at all times to answer any questions you may have.

Visa

If and when you receive a letter of acceptance (first by email and later a paper copy by mail), you will need to apply for a student visa at the German Embassy or consulate in your country. You should do this AS SOON AS POSSIBLE after receiving the letter of acceptance as a visa application will normally take at least 6 weeks, but can take as long as three months. You need to arrive in Schwenningen in mid-September. We will inform you of the exact arrival dates in due course. Please make sure not to arrive early as this could cause a great deal of administrative problems.

Budgeting and financing your studies

Please be aware that you will have to budget for about € 670/month for the entire duration of your studies. You will need to have this organised BEFORE you come to Germany, as your visa will normally depend on this. It is generally not easy to finance your studies by working. Regulations do not permit many international students to take a full-time job and it can be difficult to find suitable part-time jobs as most jobs require students to have a good command of German. Please also bear in mind that it is very difficult to work and keep up with the workload requirements of the degree programmes.

The Baden-Württemberg government introduced tuition fees of € 1500/semester for non-EU students in winter semester 2017/18. More information can be found here. Administration, student services and student union contribution fees of € 130/semester in total must also be paid.

Accommodation

We will help successful applicants with finding accommodation in Schwenningen, if required. The rent will be in the region of € 200 to € 250 per month (and thus will make up a significant proportion of your monthly budget.) Although this is a lot of money, it is actually very reasonable for German university towns. We can help you find an individual room in a shared apartment with other students or an individual apartment. Rooms which you can share with other students are NOT normally offered by German landlords. All rooms will have heating as well as a kitchen and bathroom and will be furnished. All accommodation will be within walking distance of the university.

Our Orientation Programme is designed to help foreign students integrate as quickly and smoothly as possible into daily life as a student at the Furtwangen University. We will help with enrolment and the necessary legal paperwork. Intensive "crash" courses in German, at the survival level for non-German speaking students and as a refresher course for students with previous knowledge, are also offered. Tours of the two campuses, the libraries, PC halls, and local region are also provided. This programme normally takes place in mid-September and it is essential that all international students take part. We will inform all successful applicants of the exact date for the Orientation Programme and your arrival - please make sure to stick to these as both early and late arrival will cause a lot of administrative problems.

International applicants already in Germany

For those international students who are already living in Germany (e.g. because they are changing from a different course of studies, or they have done a German language course, or have been here as an au pair, etc.), some legal regulations apply and it is important to get in touch with the International Student Support Coordinator early in the planning stages to ensure that you have all the correct information and that things will go smoothly.

Any other questions?

If you have any further questions, please get in touch with the HFU Business School International Student Support Co-ordinator: Silke Mühlbach